Shows
Rebuilding L.A.THANKSGIVING BONUS: The Foothill Catalog: An Old Idea To Create New Homes For Altadena After The Eaton FireJust before Thanksgiving, Altadena resident Whitney Haggins — who is VERY big on holidays — told us she hopes to break ground on her new home in the new year using a design she chose out of The Foothill Catalog, which has already been pre-approved by Los Angeles County. It’s got a porch and everything — perfect for watching the sun set and chatting with her neighbors, many of whom are also choosing to rebuild. It’s pretty much a win all around and a positive note to wrap up what’s been a pretty horrible year for many in our region.Given...
2025-11-2640 minRebuilding L.A.Fire Prevention Looks Different in SoCalIn the last few years, after massive blazes in Northern California destroyed forests and towns, the state changed the way it managed wildfires. It shifted its policy from a fire suppression strategy to one that oversaw small burns and other efforts to help thin overgrown forests and reduce the amount of fuel that could prolong a fire. Now, the state’s fire officials realize it has to change course again for Southern California because the approach to forest fire management up north doesn’t really apply to the chaparral and shrubland that cover the southern coast...
2025-11-0543 minRebuilding L.A.Who Are We Rebuilding For? And How Long Will It Take?Out of the top 20 most destructive wildfires in California, 15 of them have occurred in the last decade. There’s the Camp Fire, the Woolsey Fire, the Tubbs Fire, the Carr Fire, the Thomas Fire and, of course, LA’s Eaton and Palisades Fires. The list is long. It’s stunning when you think about it. Fires of this magnitude were rare before the year 2000.Most of these communities have started to build back but …how far along they are depends on a lot of factors…especially how much money people have access to…and even then…the same residents don’t always mo...
2025-10-2945 minRebuilding L.A.A Glimmer Of Hope — And Some Fatigue — As Paradise Builds BackIn 2018, a devastating fire ripped through the mountain community of Paradise, California. 85 people died. And almost the entire town burned to the ground.The Camp Fire remains the most destructive and deadliest fire in the state’s history, destroying more structures than the Eaton and Palisades Fires combined. Nearly seven years later, Paradise is coming back — it’s not the same, and so far, many of the residents have not returned. Less than half of the pre-fire population has returned to Paradise and about half of the people now living there are new to the community.Rebuilding is har...
2025-10-2253 minRebuilding L.A.An Arrest, A Report, And Little Closure For Palisades Fire VictimsA NOTE: We taped this episode on Oct. 13, 2025. It’s a developing story. Please check the Los Angeles Times for updates.At the time of this taping, 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht is in federal custody, charged with starting a fire — the Lachman Fire — that investigators say became the Palisades Fire.Investigators with the Bureau Of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or ATF, are calling the Palisades Fire a “holdover” fire, which means it was a continuation of the Lachman Fire that started just after midnight on New Year’s Day 2025. That initial fire burned underground, undetected, for almost a week when heavy wind...
2025-10-1546 minRebuilding L.A.The $1.9 million investigation that leaves us with ‘more questions than answers’Nine months and one investigation later, it is still not clear why neighborhoods in Altadena, California did not get an alert to evacuate until 3:25 a.m on January 8th — if residents got one at all — despite repeated calls to 911, hours earlier, that flames from the Eaton Fire were spotted in the area.The McChrystal Group’s 130-plus page report looks into what happened, but the scope is limited as it only includes information provided by Los Angeles County, and it finds that while there was a whole system of failures that night that led to catastrophe, no one person, or age...
2025-10-081h 01Rebuilding L.A.Navigating Insurance Hell, Pt. 1One of the biggest stories to emerge from these fires is the insurance nightmare fire survivors have endured. Not all stories of insurers are bad but the number of residents who have reported trouble with their insurance company is in the thousands. The bottom line: people report not getting the money they believe they deserve under their policies to help them rebuild and replace what was lost. Even those residents whose homes still stand are struggling and are battling with their insurance providers over smoke damage and the cost of clean up, repairs and testing for lingering toxic substances...
2025-09-2450 minRebuilding L.A.Where has all the Fire Aid gone? We follow the money.The much ballyhooed Fire Aid concert in January, featuring artists from Billie Eilish to Joni Mitchell to No Doubt, raised $100 million to help assist people in the immediate aftermath of the Eaton and Palisades Fires. Over the summer, the organizers came under a lot of scrutiny by some residents — and even President Donald Trump — who all questioned how the money was spent.August Brown covers the music industry for the Los Angeles Times and made a lot of calls, trying to track down where the Fire Aid grants went, and how they were used. He’s got some answer...
2025-09-1040 minRebuilding L.A.No Way Out: Does LA Have Evacuation Plans In Place For The Next Disaster?On the morning of the Palisades Fire, streets were already gridlocked by the time the first widespread evacuation order was issued. Eventually, people were told to leave their cars behind and run, setting off a harrowing escape for many residents.For decades it was an open secret that the Pacific Palisades didn’t have enough roads out of town for people to evacuate effectively and efficiently during an emergency, and January 7th made that plain. It took over 6 hours to get everyone out.In the hope of preventing this type of situation, a state law was passed after the Ca...
2025-08-2750 minRebuilding L.A.What’s In The SoilUnlike in previous fire disasters, FEMA did not test the soil in the Eaton and Palisades burn area after debris was cleared, raising questions about whether or not any harmful substances were left behind. Fires that burn that hot through a neighborhood can release a complex mix of chemicals into the air, like arsenic, chromium, mercury and lead, that can seep deep into the ground and into the walls and floors of buildings still standing. A reporting team from the Los Angeles Times decided to take it upon themselves to investigate and do their own testing of the soil...
2025-08-2050 minRebuilding L.A.The Fire Trucks That Didn’t ComeNineteen people died during the Eaton Fire in January. All but one of them lived in neighborhoods west of Lake Avenue in Altadena. The 19th person lived just east of that border. It’s been reported that evacuation warnings were not issued in that neighborhood until early morning when the fire was already approaching people’s doorsteps. Now, a new investigation from the Los Angeles Times finds there was only one LA County Fire truck present at 3:08 AM as the flames swept into west Altadena. Reporter Rebecca Ellis looked into what happened and why. She joins host Kate Cagle to t...
2025-08-1342 minRebuilding L.A.A Sustainable Path: LA County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath on the Fire Response and Her Vision For What Comes NextAs the neighborhoods hit hardest by the Palisades and Eaton Fires rebuild, modern building codes will largely ensure that houses and other structures will be more resilient. But what else needs to be done across these communities to make sure the next disaster isn’t as devastating? How do we rebuild in a way that makes the neighborhoods whole again and also safer, stronger, and less vulnerable? Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath has some thoughts. Her district runs from Santa Monica to Sylmar and includes the Pacific Palisades, Malibu and nearby unincorporated areas like Sunset Mesa, which all to...
2025-08-061h 00Rebuilding L.A.A Sustainable Path: LA County Supervisor Linsdsey Horvath on the Fire Response and Her Vision For What Comes NextAs the neighborhoods hit hardest by the Palisades and Eaton Fires rebuild, modern building codes will largely ensure that houses and other structures will be more resilient. But what else needs to be done across these communities to make sure the next disaster isn’t as devastating? How do we rebuild in a way that makes the neighborhoods whole again and also safer, stronger, and less vulnerable? Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath has some thoughts. Her district runs from Santa Monica to Sylmar and includes the Pacific Palisades, Malibu and nearby unincorporated areas like Sunset Mesa, which all to...
2025-08-061h 00
L.A. CrimesChecking In On The Diddy TrialSean “Diddy” Combs had been a household name in the Rap and R&B community for years, but these days he’s in federal court fighting multiple charges including sex trafficking. If convicted of all charges, he could face up to life in prison. Madison is joined by L.A. Times Reporter Richard Winton to talk about the full scope of what Combs is accused of, and what the trial has looked like so far.Subscribe for bonus content on Apple Podcasts or by going to latimes.com/podcastbonus
2025-06-2531 minL.A. Crimes…Does It End With Us?Now that the media dust has somewhat settled, Madison McGhee and unsolved crime aficionado, Alexis Linkletter are here to determine the facts versus the fiction of the chaotic lawsuit between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively. They’ll break down the accusations, share their personal takes, and talk about what this could mean for each actor’s career.Subscribe for bonus content on Apple Podcasts or by going to latimes.com/podcastbonus
2025-06-1831 minL.A. CrimesThe Key Witness Who Changed the Sementilli CaseOn this episode, Madison McGhee is joined by the host of the show Love Murder, Andie Cassette, to delve into what happens when a love triangle between a hair stylist, his wife, and an ex-porn star turns murderous. Richard Winton is also back again to bring to light the nitty gritty affair details and what lies ahead for the homicidal hook-up.Subscribe for bonus content on Apple Podcasts or by going to latimes.com/podcastbonus
2025-06-1147 minL.A. CrimesSay It Ain’t So: Jillian Lauren’s Standoff with PoliceJillian Lauren is an author, mother, wife of Weezer Bassist Scott Shriner, and now faces up to 19 years in state prison if convicted of shooting a police officer after a dramatic standoff in Eagle Rock…all while wearing her Weezer band shirt. In today’s episode, Madison is joined by Jake Deptula, host of true crime podcasts Strictly Stalking and LoveLustFear, to break down the events between the cops and Lauren. Later, they’re joined by L.A. Times reporter Clara Harter to dig deeper on Lauren’s undecided future.Subscribe for bonus content on Apple Pod...
2025-06-0436 minL.A. CrimesThe Girardi Scandal UncoveredTom Girardi was a legal legend—until he was found guilty of stealing millions from his own clients. Host Madison McGhee and pop culture commentator Kiki Monique unpack how his downfall became a Real Housewives scandal, and what Erika Jayne may or may not have known. Plus, L.A. Times reporter Harriet Ryan joins to share how she helped bring Girardi’s crimes to light.Subscribe for bonus content on Apple Podcasts or by going to latimes.com/podcastbonus
2025-05-2837 minL.A. CrimesWhat Pop Culture Gets Wrong About the Menendez BrothersOn our first episode of L.A. Crimes, Madison McGhee is joined by legendary Dateline host Josh Mankiewicz and esteemed L.A. Times Reporter Richard Winton as the three of them dive into all-things Menendez Brothers, the good, the bad, and the still unknown. New episodes every Wednesday. Subscribe for Bonus Content on Apple Podcasts or by going to latimes.com/podcastbonus
2025-05-2140 min